Compo Beach in Westport is cited as one of the reasons the town as named "Fan Favorite" in a state contest.

Compo Beach in Westport is cited as one of the reasons the town as named "Fan Favorite" in a state contest.

Photo: Jarret Liotta

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The iconic Minuteman statue at Compo Road South and Compo Beach roads.

The iconic Minuteman statue at Compo Road South and Compo Beach roads.

Photo: Meg Barone

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Free concerts at the new Levitt Pavilion are one of the things that makes Westport tops in a state contest.

Free concerts at the new Levitt Pavilion are one of the things that makes Westport tops in a state contest.

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Westport voted state's favorite town in tourism contest

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WESTPORT --It's official. Westport has been voted the "Connecticut still revolutionary" Fan-Favorite Town of the Year in a program sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Tourism.

Compo Beach, the popular 29-acre shoreline park on Long Island Sound, was chosen as the top destination within the town.

"Westport, a coastal town that offers a blend of New England charm and tradition with a cosmopolitan twist, successfully harnessed the pride of residents and visitors and earned more votes than any other town, village, city or borough across the state," according to a statement from the tourism office.

"As all our citizens are well aware, Westport has so much to offer from our beaches and parks, historic landmarks, award-winning theaters and educational programs, the visual arts, shopping and restaurants," First Selectman Jim Marpe, reacting to the selection last week, said in a release. He was presented the Fan-Favorite award Aug. 7.

A video created by three Westport fifth-graders -- Clara Holleman, Sydney Newman and Sutton Lindau -- filmed and edited by recent Staples High School graduate Claudine Brantley, ignited momentum for the Westport campaign and helped drive votes and participation in the program, Marpe said.

"I'm so proud of Clara, Sydney, Sutton and Claudine in making this informative and lively video," Marpe said. "These young women were instrumental in having Westport achieve this honor. We appreciate the amazing job they did in identifying all those aspects of Westport that make it a wonderful place to visit and live."

The video featured more than 42 businesses, destinations and attractions within the town, as well as an appearance by Marpe, who actively encouraged people to cast their vote for the town.

The promotional program asked people to vote for the town that they think most embodies the spirit of the state's brand, " `Connecticut still revolutionary' -- a haven for original ideas and innovation that offers a dynamic blend of experiences," according to the tourism office.

Participants also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite business, destination or attraction within that town.

Nearly 40,000 votes were cast over a six-week period, the tourism office said.

"Our 4,000 Facebook followers came out strong supporting Clara, Sydney and Sutton," said Selectman Avi Kaner, who, Marpe's news release said, used the town's social media to encourage and facilitate voting. "The excitement and town pride was palpable -- thank you to everyone who came together to vote. "

"It has been incredible to see the passion and creativity coming from all areas of the state to support this year's Fan Favorite town program and we commend Westport and all of the towns and destinations that got involved," said Randy Fiveash, the tourism office's director of tourism. "By giving the public the opportunity to champion and spread the word about their favorite towns and destinations, we tapped into the pride of those who are most passionate about Connecticut."

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a release that "through our investments in programs like `Connecticut still revolutionary' Fan Favorite Town, we are promoting the wide array of communities and destinations across the state that exude a kind of classic New England charm that you can only find in Connecticut. We are also giving residents an opportunity to highlight all of the qualities that make their towns unique and demonstrating to potential visitors something we already know -- this is a great place to visit, live, work and play."

For capturing the most votes, the town will receive advertising support from the Office of Tourism, national and in-state public relations support, an editorial feature in the 2015 official Connecticut Visitor's Guide, a weeklong social media feature across the tourism office's social channels, which has an audience of more than 200,000, and the honorary plaque.